Princess in Hiding

Chapter 13

~Queen Aglaia~

All of the servers were now busy cleaning the palace as the ball from last night has ended perfectly. I might have asked a mere server to pose as my daughter, I felt that she was her. I touched the bed sheet that I am sitting upon. It has been two weeks since Aikaterina ran away. I don't know why she ran away but I'm very worried. I have just recently found her and now she's gone was again. Would I really hold safely my daughter for long? I have not been with her for twenty-two years and I have yearned for her to be back in our arms.

        I sighed and I just watched the servers clean the room of my dear daughter. I am glad that Aikaterie accepted our offer to pose as our child for last night. Honestly, I feel threatened that her name is like my daughter and she entered the palace to volunteer herself as my child but I already found her and proven by the tests we have conducted as recommended by her guardians. Aikaterie will never be my child. I have known that she grew up with only a guardian and now really an orphan as her guardian died before she stepped college.

        I know that I have been harsh to her because I really feel threatened with her presence in the palace. Her mere presence causes a stir in me. The urge to have her out the palace is always there and I cannot fathom why. I should be asking myself that, she is a harmless child, did not even jump right in when opportunity glances at her. She is really harmless and I have no reason to be angry at her or alarmed even. I breathed in a huge chunk of air. I now feel sorry for the horrible things I did to her. I realized that I don't hate her. I hate myself for being alarmed. I hate that I hate her name, that she looks so similar to her. I hate myself for ruling in that she might be my daughter but I already accepted Aikaterina, given the proof I only need. Aikaterie does not even boast any proof.

        I was interrupted from my reverie when a server approached me and curtsied. I looked at her and she showed me a jacket on one hand and on another was a golden necklace with the Greek Coat of Arms pendant. My brows met, this looked familiar. I took the necklace first and carefully inspected it.

       "My Queen, I found that necklace from Aikaterie's jacket. These were her belongings. The pendant fell from her jacket when I was folding her clothes. The image on the pendant was familiar, I wanted to consult you first before returning it," she explained.

        I gulped. I cannot believe my eyes. The locket, this locket I tucked inside the robe I wrapped my baby girl before she got lost. This was my daughter's. I opened the pendant and saw the carved initials of the name of my daughter. Three small diamonds and a sapphire was placed in the other half. My tears are waiting to fall from my eyes. This cannot be. This pendant and a pinky ring I left with my baby. Those items I believed that were burned as told by Aikaterina. Burned together with their belongings when they were still living in America. I bit my lip.

        "I will personally hand Aikaterina this item. I will further inspect this. Do not tell her that it is with me, only when I asked her to come to my study." The server curtsied and left me.

        I stood and rushed to my study. I held the necklace tightly and as soon as I rested on my chair, I inspected it further. This pendant, the necklace, everything. This cannot be a replica as it was only made for my Aikaterina, along with the ring, they were specially made for her. Her identity. These are the only items I look for when someone who volunteers as my daughter shows up. This really cannot be. My tears already escaped my eyes.

        I took my photo of my Aikaterina when she was a baby. showing the pendant and the ring with her. This is exactly the pendant my Aikaterina cannot show me. They insisted a DNA Test and we agreed. That proof she held is the one I held until now. I felt the pendant and looked at the photo on my other palm. How could possibly this be with Aikaterina? She was penniless when she arrived here in the palace, boasts no wealth. She was plain and simple. Thus, this necklace could have not travelled from Miami to Greece and be on the hands of a simple orphan who raises herself with little that she has.